Pain is our body’s alarm system telling us that some sort of damage has happened to the body. It warns us to not do it again (acute) and it warns us that something is wrong (chronic). It happens throughout our lifetime, warns us in different ways, and often tells us when something’s causing damage! If we didn’t have pain, we would have put our hand on the stove all the time when we were kids and would have no nerve endings or skin cells left in our hands.
The Science of Pain
There are a number of factors that contribute to an individual’s pain. As more research has emerged regarding pain itself, the lens has been broadened. Research now considers body functions and structures, environmental factors, and personal factors to be what determines an individual’s pain.
Some factors considered that can apply to an individual’s pain:
- The type of pain and the area it’s coming from
- Other Comorbidities (diabetes, heart conditions, etc.)
- Cognitive-emotional (your experiences with pain)
- Social (access to care)
- Occupational (demands on a person in their occupation)
How Physical Therapy Treats Pain
At Loudoun Sports Therapy Center, we use best practices to identify your specific pain and its location, but to also look at you as a whole person. Your pain is not just a number on a scale of 0 to 10. We look at:
- What is causing your pain?
- What does it limit you from doing throughout your day or even during sport?
- Are there other health conditions involved?
- Are there other factors that may contribute to your pain?
- How is your pain affecting you as a person?
If you’re having pain, give us a call at 703-450-4300 or CLICK HERE to schedule an evaluation to meet with a Doctor of Physical Therapy at Loudoun Sports Therapy Center to help you determine what’s causing your pain.
Proudly offering physical therapy near you! We serve the local towns: Sterling, Potomac Falls, Ashburn, Broadlands, Herndon, Reston, Great Falls, Chantilly, Leesburg, Lansdowne, Manassas and more!
